Pepperdine Waves vs Saint Mary’s Gaels Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Saint Mary's vs Pepperdine NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Malibu.

Saint Mary's vs Pepperdine Prediction

The Gaels and Waves are set to face off at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. The Waves will host the game at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, CA. Saint Mary's come into this West Coast conference matchup as the -13.5 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 138.5 points.

Saint Mary's vs. Pepperdine Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Saint Mary's Gaels at Pepperdine Waves
Where: Malibu at Firestone Fieldhouse
Date: Saturday, January 18th
Betting Odds STMRY -13.5, STMRY -1200 | PEPP +720 O/U 138.5

Gaels Preview: Are the Gaels Ready for a Road Win?

Saint Mary's Gaels Recent Game/Games

Saint Mary’s improved to 14-3 on the season with a dominant 103-56 road win over San Diego on Saturday. The Gaels, who were favored by 16 points, covered the spread with ease.

After leading 41-24 at halftime, Saint Mary’s poured in 62 points in the second half while allowing just 32. The game’s total points of 159 went over the pre-game line of 136.5.

Gaels Offense Breakdown

Saint Mary's put up 103 points in their latest game, shooting 52.9% from the field and hitting 51.7% of their threes (15/29). Their effective field goal percentage was 62.9%, and they were strong at the free-throw line, making 87.5% (14/16).

The Gaels grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and dished out 26 assists. Mikey Lewis was a standout, scoring 18 points in 19 minutes, shooting 87.5% overall and 80% from three (4/5).

Gaels Team Defense

Saint Mary's Gaels held their opponent to 56 points, even though they allowed a 44% shooting performance from the field. The defense gave up 19 two-point baskets on 39 attempts, a 48% success rate.

From beyond the arc, the Gaels limited their opponent to 5 made threes on 15 attempts, a 33% shooting percentage. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line just 3 times, where they converted all 3 attempts.

Waves Preview: Is a Home Win Possible for the Waves?

Pepperdine Waves Recent Game/Games

The Waves fell to 7-11 on the season after an 80-63 home loss to the Dons on Thursday. Pepperdine, who entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 48-36 at halftime, the Waves were unable to mount a comeback, scoring just 27 points in the 2nd half while allowing 32. The game’s total points of 143 fell short of the 149.5 O/U line.

Waves Offense Breakdown

Pepperdine's offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 2 of 14 three-point attempts for a 14.3% shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 41.1% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 42.9%.

Malik Thomas led the way with 20 points, while Boubacar Coulibaly added 17 points on 66.7% shooting. Marcus Williams contributed 16 points, shooting 58.3% from the field, including 2 of 7 from three-point range.

Waves Team Defense

Despite giving up 80 points, Pepperdine's defense held the opposing team to 41% shooting from the field. They allowed 21 two-point field goals on 42 attempts, a 50% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Pepperdine's defense was strong, limiting the other team to just 2 three-pointers on 14 attempts, a 14% success rate. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 15, shooting 65%.

Gaels vs Waves Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Saint Mary's has an ATS record of 4-1 while averaging 78 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
Although Pepperdine has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 3-7. The team averaged 66 points per game in these games.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Waves have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 3-2.
The last ten games that Saint Mary's was favored, they have an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 7-3 straight up.